Police in the Western Cape have confirmed the arrest of two more suspects linked to the mass shooting that resulted in 10 people, including a toddler, shot.
According to police, the dedicated efforts of Anti-Gang Unit detectives yielded results in tracing the latest suspects.
“The dedicated efforts of Anti-Gang Unit detectives, who have been working around the clock since a fatal shooting incident rocked the Wesbank community in Malmesbury, have led to the arrest of two additional suspects aged 26 and 32,” the provincial police spokesperson, Colonel Andrè Traut, said.
The latest arrest brings the total number of suspects involved in the incident to three.
During the attack, two people were killed, and eight others were seriously injured when unknown gunmen stormed a house in Wesbank in the early hours of Sunday, July 12.
The one-year-old toddler was shot in the face.
The first suspect was arrested on Monday and was expected to appear in the Malmesbury Magistrate’s Court.
According to sources who spoke to IOL, the shooting was a retaliatory incident after a local gang boss was gunned down in a separate mass shooting which resulted in the death of two people and left three others injured.
Residents have since feared that a gang war would escalate since the murder of the Mongrels gang leader, Ralph ‘Frog’ Philander.
Sources further told IOL one of the suspects arrested is related to Frog.
Police confirmed preliminary investigations indicate that the three suspects are linked to a local gang operating in the Malmesbury area.
“The shooting claimed the lives of a 22-year-old man and a 21-year-old woman. Detectives have since established that the number of attempted murder victims has increased to eight, while the number of fatalities remains unchanged at two,” Traut said.
He said detectives will continue to pursue every possible lead to fully uncover the circumstances surrounding the mass shooting.
“The swift progress made in the case reflects the determination of the investigating team to identify those responsible and ensure that they are brought before the courts. These arrests also underscore SAPS’ continued commitment to rooting out violent crime and disrupting criminal elements that threaten the safety of communities,” Traut said.
Police urge anyone with information that could assist the ongoing investigation to contact Crime Stop at 08600 10111 or submit information anonymously via the MySAPS mobile application.
The three suspects are expected to appear together in the dock in the Malmesbury Magistrate’s Court on Wednesday.
